BED TIME STORIES

[amma]

Reading Quran





An old man lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his



young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen


table reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried


to imitate him in every way he could.


One day the grandson asked, 'Grandpa! I try to read the Qur'an just like



you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as


I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?'


The Grandfather quietly


turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, 'Take this coal basket



down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.'


The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got backto the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You'll have to move a


little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to


try again.


This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty



before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was


impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.


The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of


water.


You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the



boy try again.


At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his


grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would Leak


out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into


river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was


again empty.


Out of breath, he said, 'See Grandpa, it's useless!'



'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.'


The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the


basket wasdifferent. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now


clean, inside and out.


'Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not



understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be


changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives.'